Cuap. XVII.) UTRICULARIA NEGLECTA. 319 
CHAPTER XVII. 
UTRICULARIA. 
Utricularia neglecta— Structure of the bladder—The uses of the several parts— 
Number of imprisoned animals—Manner of capture—The bladders cannot 
digest animal matter, but absorb the products of its decay—Experiments 
on the absorption of certain fluids by the quadrifid processes—Absorption 
by the glands—Summary of the observations on absorption—Development 
of the bladders— Utricularia vulgaris — Utricularia minor — Utricularia 
clandestina, 
I was led to investigate the habits and structure of the 
species of this genus partly from their belonging to the same 
natural family as Pinguicula, but more especially by Mr. 
Holland’s statement, that “water insects are often found 
imprisoned in the bladders,” which he suspects “are destined 
for the plant to feed on.”* The plants which I first received 
as Utricularia vulgaris from the New Forest in Hampshire 
and from Cornwall, and which I have chiefly worked on, 
have been determined by Dr. Hooker to be a very rare 
British species, the Utricularia neglecta of Lehm.t I subse- 
quently received the true Utricularia vulgaris from Yorkshire. 
Since drawing up the following description from my own 
observations and those of my son, Francis Darwin, an 
important memoir by Prof. Cohn on Utricularia vulgaris has 
appeared ;{ and it has been no small satisfaction to me to 
find that my account agrees almost completely with that of 
this distinguished observer. I will publish my description 
as it stood before reading that by Prof. Cohn, adding 
occasionally some statements on his authority. 
* The ‘Quart. Mag. of the High 
Wycombe Nat. Hist. Soc.’ July 1868, 
p. 5. Delpino (‘ Ult. Osservaz. sulla 
Dicogamia,’ &c. 1868-1869, p. 16) 
also quotes Crouan as having found 
(1858) crustaceans within the blad- 
ders of Utricularia vulgaris. 
t Iam much indebted to the Rev. 
H. M. Wilkinson, of Bistern, for 
having sent me several fine lots of 
this species from the New Forest. 
Mr. Ralfs was also so kind as to send 
me living plants of the same species 
from near Penzance in Cornwall. 
t ‘Beitrige zur Biologie der Pflan- 
zen,’ drittes Heft, 1875, 
